An Assault on Quiet Time

Through high school and college, one of my summer jobs was working at a "Pick-Your-Own" Strawberry farm. During the picking season, my job was to stand out in the field to direct people to the best rows...to help them avoid rows that had been "picked-clean," and, of course, to make sure kids didn't trample the fruit or start impromptu berry fights.

On the weekends, the job stayed very busy. Thousands of people came out, so I got to talk to all sorts of neat folks. I made some of my best friends there at that field. As a matter of fact, working in that strawberry patch eventually led to me meeting my wife. But the most important person I met there was Jesus, though that's a story for another time.

As I said, weekends at the strawberry field were usually very busy. But weekdays…were slow. Watching the paint dry slow. And the boss had a thing for us never sitting down on the job. So, I stood there…in the middle of a field…for hours…on end…with nothing to do…but think.

And boy, did I ever think. I thought about my life, about my future, about relationships, about my dreams…about God. At the time, I grew to hate having so much time to think. I was in the midst of a very troubling break-up, and I just couldn't get away from my thoughts. It was horrible, but it was wonderful.

It was a good thing I couldn't get away from my thoughts. I was forced to confront them. I was forced to weigh myself, to measure my life, to ask questions. All that think time led me straight to Jesus.

This brings me to the subject of my post. We need quiet time. I'm not even talking about time to get away, relax, and recharge. No, we need that too. But I'm talking about having quiet time that troubles us. Quiet time where we have nothing left to do but see ourselves as we our, to see the world as it is, and just maybe…hear from God.

Make space in your calendar for two hours. By yourself. No interruptions. No distractions. I dare you to try it.


I DOUBLE DARE YOU. It won't be easy. Call me a nutjob if you want, but I am CONVINCED that one of our enemy's subtlest, most destructive plots is to obliterate our quiet time. Think of the direction American culture has taken us. Remember when all the houses had great big front porches, where neighbors could "set a spell" and talk?

Yeah, me either. That's how long it's been. Time was when people actually got to know each other…and yes, that was a good thing. Don't get me wrong, technology in and of itself is not evil. TV isn't the great demonic ploy of this age. iPods, video games--nothing innately wrong with any of it. But look at the great sum of it all. What seems to be the goal: portable DvD players, cell phones, iPhones, blackberries, laptops, etc. etc.

I was in a restaurant the other day and visited a restroom. Guess what? There's a TV above the urinal! I was in NYC a few months back and stepped into an elevator. TV there too. I recently heard that gas stations were going to be putting TVs on the pump, so you don't have to stand there for a a full minute with nothing to do.

Seems like the world wants us to be entertained every waking moment. I wonder why that is. I suspect it's because in quiet moments, we might actually think about life...we might actually start asking the big questions of life. Who am I? Why am I here? What have I been doing with my life? Or, maybe, is there anyone out there who cares?

You might say, Wayne, all those things are are attempts to eliminate boredom from our lives. That's not so bad, is it? No, not entirely. But when the pace of life, the routines, the moment to moment living, the entertainment, and the noise constantly bombard us…it becomes easy to lie to ourselves. It becomes easy to beat down those nagging questions. It becomes easy to let life--real life--pass us by.

So what might happen if you allow yourself to NOT be numbed by entertainment or busyness for a while? Maybe in that quiet, you might remember the harsh words you spoke to a loved one. Maybe, you might feel an urge to apologize. Maybe, you'll remember some childhood dream that you swept under the adult rug. Maybe, you'll realize how messed up the world is...or how messed up all of us are.

I suspect what many people call boredom might actually be pain. And pain, when recognized, might lead us to ask for help.

Realizing we need help--for life and eternity--might just be the most important discovery of our lives. There's only One who has all the answers to the hard questions. There's only One who loved you enough to die for you. My prayer is that quiet time might lead you to Him.

If you're the hard person to shop for--the guy who has everything--maybe give yourself a gift this year. Give yourself some quiet time. Go ahead. I dare you.

Merry Christmas!

About Rejection...

Rejection

A fan wrote me the other day asking for advice that I might give to give to an aspiring writer who has a burning desire to write, finishes a novel, queries agents and publishers and faces rejection?

For those with an interest, here's my response:

Rejection hurts. No one likes to feel rebuffed. But rejection is a part of this business, and a very necessary part at that. Who wants to plunk down $16.99 for a book only to have it turn out lousy? Publishers have to reject authors because of inferior quality. They have to reject authors because of the needs of their publishing house. And they have to reject authors because of societal trends...the genre du jour, etc.

So rejection is a fact of the industry. But how you respond is what makes the difference. Some authors use rejection as motivation: "I'll show them I can make it." Others use rejection as an opportunity for revision: "Okay, how can I make my manuscript better?" Still others give up. The last option is no option at all. You give up, you have zero chance of being published. If you have a passion to write or even a God-given calling to write, you MUST not give up. If you do, you'll always wonder. If you do, you'll never have peace. You must musT muST mUST MUST keep trying. But try "smart."

1. Look at the trends. What's hot in Hollywood? What's selling NOW?
2. Get an agent. Most (95%) of publishers will ignore manuscripts NOT sent by an agent.
3. Put together a team: friends, local English teachers--even professional editors. And have them read your work and critique it.

4. Finally, and in my humble opinion, most importantly: work on your HOOK. By that I mean the first sentence, first paragraph, first page, and first chapter of your manuscript. This is the most important part of the book. You must hook your reader immediately. Editors at publishing houses rarely spend more than a few pages with a manuscript unless it hooks them. You've got 2 minutes of an editor's time. How will you get them to read on? Gradual exposition won't cut it. Think suspense. Arouse curiosity. Draw the reader in from the first line. If you do, you're well on your way to a book deal.

There's my .02 about rejection. What are your thoughts? Authors out there...how did you deal with rejection? Any advice for other writers out there?

Major Goosebumps...

Okay, I'm stoked! I just found the Prince Caspian Movie Trailer. WOW. Can't wait.

You can check it out here: PRINCE CASPIAN MOVIE TRAILER

Anyone else thinking of seeing it? ;-)

Fantasy Names

Middle Earth, Gandalf, Lothlorien, The Dragonbone Chair, Paragor, Morgoth--incredibly cool fantasy names. Lots of folks ask me where I get the names for my people and places. So here's a little of what goes into my name-building.

First, names are absolutely CRITICAL. You must get them right. Take as much time as you need, but get them right. Can you imagine Lord of the Rings if Gandalf had been "Bob, the white wizard?" Yeah, me either.

I draw names from all over the place. Sometimes I take bits of several friends names and mess with them to see if they sound like something. Other times I research Norse or Celtic names for things. I have a couple of general guidelines when creating names for fantasy creations:

1. The name should fit the character. By this I mean I need to find a name that sounds like or hints at meaning. Nock and Bolt are archers. Mallik sounds like Mallet, and he wields, you guessed it, a big hammer.

2. Names should be pronounceable. I know, I know, it's fantasy, right? But still, ridiculous names with awkward apostrophes all over the place just bog the reader down. You can get great-sounding fantasy names and still have them obey English rules of pronunciation. Bek'ur'dalphian is just too much of a mouthful. My fantasy names sound otherworldly but you can still sound them out: Aidan, Gwenne, Valithor, Boldoak, etc.

3. Names should fit the culture or race of your creation. If you have a civilization of mountain-dwellers, and they speak in a dialect with a more guttural sound, then create rough, consonant heavy names.

4. I also like names that match the character's bent. If a character is a villain, I like to give them sinister names---BUT I don't want them to be obvious. Paragor, Kearn, Rucifel--all sound evil. Think of Darth Vader, the Sith, Mordor, Sauron--great names.

What are some of your favorite fantasy names?

New Fan Art!

This righteous portrait come to us from Dee Fowler. What a powerful image. So many different emotions in her expression--subtle, but definitely there. Thank you for sharing your work with us!

Sean Taylor...Looking the Other Way and The Breath of Life

National news. Front page headlines. Sean Taylor, Redskins All-Pro Safety, Gunned Down in his Florida Home. Dead at the age of 24.

I'm a HUGE Washington Redskins fan. I bleed maroon and gold. But even so, I'm not sure why Sean Taylor's death has hit me so hard. I didn't know Sean. I've been to Redskins Park for training camp many times, but I've never shook hands with the man.


Unlike the thrilled young man in the picture above, I've never had Sean Taylor sign a ball for me or my kids. And yet, when I flipped on the TV this morning to catch the weather, saw the graphic pronouncing Sean Taylor dead, I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach. All day long I've felt a thick mantle of melancholy on my shoulders. And all day long I've been trying to figure out why I feel this way. Maybe it's the fact that last night there were a few small signs that Sean Taylor might recover…only to have that hope stolen away. Maybe it's the fact that someone close to my brother lost an 18 month old boy in a tragic drowning accident...and I just feel the sense of general loss. Maybe.

I've been thinking about it all day. I'm still not sure, but here's why I think this event has hit me like a hammer. Sean Taylor's death was senseless, unnecessary, sudden, and tragic. He was murdered in the prime of his life. I noticed. The news networks noticed. America noticed. But how many kids die in America every day…with very few people noticing? How many teenagers are murdered over gang turf, casual glances at girlfriends, trendy jackets, or tennis shoes? How many kids are bullied into self hatred and take their own lives? How many kids drink or drug themselves into a stupor and kill themselves in a car accident? How many of these headlines and news reports do we read and shrug off as "just another statistic?"

And I wonder...how many of these lives were lost because someone or many someones looked the other way when they could have lent a helping hand. Don't get me wrong. I'm not claiming that I could step in, clean up gang violence, racism, drug abuse, bullying, and all the other ills of the world. But I can do something for someone. I have a sphere of influence. And so do you. Maybe once a week, maybe once in a year, maybe every day we find ourselves in a position where we could step up and help someone OR not. Many times these situations we can ignore and no one will know any differently...just us and God. In some instances other people would totally understand or even applaud us for looking the other way rather than "getting involved." How many of these situations come down to a decision between "The Need" and "Our Want?" Personal convenience versus helping someone who may not ask again. I pray that I won't look the other way anymore. I pray that you won't look the other way anymore.


I hear Joe Gibbs (The Redskin's Head Coach) talk on LIVE television about cherishing life. Gibbs said Sean Taylor had become a Christian that he "has a great relationship with the Lord" and now has gone home. Gibbs explained that this loss will not be easy to handle--that it strikes each of us with how fleeting life is. But Gibbs said he will comfort himself with knowing that Sean Taylor is in heaven where it will take us a 1000 years just to get over the sheer impact of being in heaven.
Amen to that, Joe Gibbs. None of us are guaranteed even one more second of life. Not one. The moment we took our first breaths, we were already dying. Who was it who said "The statistics on death are staggering. 100% of people die."

Life is a vapor...a breath. We've got to come to grips with the facts:

1. The world is too beautiful and complex to be an accident, so someone had to make it.

2. This someone made the world just right to support human life...to allow humans to flourish, so this Creator someone had to love mankind.

3. This loving creator must have loved people enough to give us choice because somewhere along the line evil entered the world where it continues to this day.

4. This loving Creator cannot love evil...so He must do something about it and yet make a way for people to still love Him back. This loving Creator must have a plan.

5. If He has a plan, he should communicate it to people. He has. No other book can explain life like the Bible. No other book offers hope like the Bible. No other book is verified by prophecy, history, archeology, astronomy, and human experience like the Bible.

6. The plan was made flesh and God's son Jesus took the penalty of the world's collective evil on his back. He nailed it to the cross, died, and rose.

7. He defeated death once and for all so that we could go to heaven one day...the day that my heart--your heart--beats its last.

I still have a heavy heart, and I can only imagine what Sean Taylor's family must be going through. But, this life is not all. And this life is not the end. Thank you, Lord Jesus.

CSFF Blog Tour for Stephen Lawhead's Scarlet, Day One

Today is Day One of the CSFF Blog Tour for Mr. Stephen Lawhead newest book:
Scarlet
Most readers of fantasy know of Mr. Lawhead's groundbreaking work with the Pendragon Cycle and the Song of Albion Books. He blends amazing historicity with clever fantasy and the result is nothing short of magnificent. I've not read Hood or Scarlet, but the reviews are very strong. If you'd like to read a sample, check out the sneak preview chapters at:
Mr. Lawhead's Cooler-Than-Cool Website

If you're looking for something cool to read this Christmas season, give Stephen Lawhead's King Raven Trilogy, Book 1: Hood, Book 2: Scarlet, today!

The Joys of Editing...

Two Points in this post:

1. The first is an excuse for not posting for a week or so. My edits have just come back for Isle of Fire. So far there aren't any major issues…so far. My editor rocks, and she claims that most of what I need to fix are polishing types of things. Hmmm...we'll see if that holds true. lol Either way, I need to put nose to the grindstone on this, so I'll be sparse in my posts and comments for a time.

2. About Editing. I talk to students quite often, and one message I want to get across to them is "Don't hate your editor." Your editor is like a surgeon--their cuts are made to heal, to cure, to improve.

Still the edits hurt. It feels like rejection...like my ideas aren't good enough. I've discovered that each set of edits is a bit of a puzzle to be solved.

Some edits are "DUH!" things where I have one character with blond hair in chapter 3 and red hair in chapter 18. OOPS. Others are logic things: the moon can't be full because it was full so many days ago. Others are grammar things. All of those are relatively easy to fix.

But what do you do when the editor wants you to change something big? What do you do then? How do you decide when to go to war on something? For me, it comes down to the following grid:

__Is the suggestion something that will fundamentally change the story?
__Is the change an improvement to the story?
__Does the scene/idea work for its intended audience? (helps to test it with readers)
__Does the editor have a valid reason for the change?
__Is there a compromise--something that keeps what I want while granting what the editor wants?
__Am I resistant to the change simply because of ego, or do I really have a good reason for NOT making the change?

How do you deal with edits? Are there other questions that come up when crossing pens with an editor?

Cool New Fan Art!

This righteous image brought to you by Sir Jared of Harrison. Bravisimo, Jared!

Okay, who knows what this piece of artwork depicts? ;-)

The Hunt Continues...and Misc Cool Items of Interest

Ahhhhh, the turkey is done. Delicious, I must say. My mom makes this spectacular stuffing with sausage and walnuts in it--YUM! {Ducks as shirt button pops off and ricochets around the room} Wow.

Misc. Cool Item of Interest #1: Just discovered that Rob Bedford over at supercool fantasy mecca SSFworld.com has a review up for Isle of Swords. Check it out by clicking the link below. For Misc. Cool Item of Interest #2, read all the way to the bottom. I promise it will be worth your while.

Isle of Swords Review from Rob H. Bedford at ScienceFiction and Fantasy World

AND...

Just a reminder that you have until Christmas 2007 (Just one month left) to *enter the:

Isle of Swords Treasure Hunt

*By the way, all it takes to enter is to post here saying, I'm in!
**Holiday Shopping time is upon us. Know anyone who likes fantasy or pirate adventure? Buy 'em a Door Within or Isle of Swords book and join the contest!

Here are the details once more for anyone new to The Hunt:

Might Ye Be Lookin' Fer Treasure?

Announcing the Isle of Swords Treasure Hunt Extravaganza!

To the Winners Go the Spoils:
(uh...here's what you can win)

The Top FIVE Adventurers who accumulate the Treasure Points will receive a signed book of their choice. AND for each of the top 5, I will name a character* in my next fantasy series after you. That's correct: I'll use your real name, your username, or a character name you create as a character in my new fantasy series. Of course, if your name is Bob, we might want to go with something a little more fantasy-ish.

For the #1 Treasure Points getter, I will give you one copy of every new book I write...for LIFE. That means, should the Lord allow me to live long enough to write all the stories rattling around in my head, you will get a signed copy of each one sent directly to you. Of course, if you move and don't give me your new address, then…someone else will be getting all those books. Doh!

*No Guarantee that your character won't get killed off in some horribly unpleasant manner.


Your mission, should you choose to--ah, you know the rest--is simply this accumulate the Most Treasure Points possible by Christmas 2007 by completing any and all of the tasks listed below:

Treasure Points Tasks Key

5 Treasure Points:
•Mention ANY of my books in a blog thread--your blog or someone else's--post the link in your comment.
•Recommend ANY of my books to someone you know--say who it was.
•Post a link to my blog anywhere on your blog--then, post the link here.
•Post a review of any of my books on a non-review site like a blog, school page, etc. Post a link here.

10 Treasure Points:
•Write a review of any of my books on Amazon or any online review site. Post the link for the review once it's up.
•Post cover artwork from any of my books on your blog and make it a link to Amazon or CBD. Post the link in your comment on this thread.
•Post a link for my book's Amazon or CBD page on your blog. Then, post the link here.

20 Treasure Points:
•Write a review of any of my books and post it on three different online review sites. Post the link for the review here once it's up.

25 Treasure Points:
•Recommend ANY of my books to someone you know--say who it was. And then, this person chose to buy the book!
•Spot ANY of my books in a bookstore outside of the state in which you live. Post here to let us know where and when.

50 Treasure Points:
•Buy a copy of Isle of Swords and post when and where you bought it.
•Buy any of The Door Within Books and post when and where you bought it.
•Write a review of ALL of my books and post ALL of them on THREE online review sites. Post the links for the reviews once they're up.
•Buy a copy of any book by one of the Fantasy Fiction Tour Authors: Sharon Hinck, Bryan Davis, and Christopher Hopper.
•Create an Amazon Listmania List that includes The Door Within Books and Isle of Swords.
• Write AND present a book report on any Wayne Thomas Batson, Bryan Davis, Christopher Hopper, or Sharon Hinck book at school. 100pts. if you earn an A+ for that assignment.

75 Treasure Points:
•Go to a store that does not carry my books and special order it from that store.
•Go to a store that does not carry my books and persuade them to carry any of my books. Then, post here to tell us what store has now agreed to carry my book(s).
•Buy any of my books and donate them to your church library. Then post here to say where you bought them and what church received them.

100 Treasure Points:
•Buy a copy of ANY of my books for the Youth Group Leader of your church. Post a comment here to tell who, when, and where.
•Buy one copy of EACH of the Fantasy Fiction Tour Authors: Sharon Hinck, Bryan Davis, Wayne Thomas Batson, and Christopher Hopper. (4 Books total) Post here to say where and when.
•Buy both of Christopher Hopper's books: Rise of the Dibor and The Lion Vrie. Post here to say where and when.
•Buy both of Sharon Hinck's Sword of Lyric Books: Restorer and Restorer's Son. Post here to say where and when.

400 Treasure Points:
•Buy The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, The Final Storm, and Isle of Swords (ALL FOUR of my books). Post here and tell where you bought them and when.
•Buy all of Bryan Davis's Dragons in Our Midst Books (4) Post here to say where and when.


Note: Each of the preceding MAY be repeated as many times as you like.

Note #2: Each of the preceding must be performed from this day (September 18th, 2007) forward. But, upon further review, I have decided to allow contestants to count THREE past book purchases for Treasure Points. So, if you bought The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, and The Final Storm last year, you can count those three, but no others.

Note #3: To claim ANY Treasure Points, you must post a comment on THIS thread explaining how you accomplished it.

Note #4: I may add to the list of Treasure Point Tasks at any time--and likely will because my twisted mind is always churning...

Note #5: Keep track of your own Treasure Points. I will keep a running tally in my sidebar and try to update it every week or two. But you should keep your total as well.

Note #6: You cannot kill several birds with one stone. Make sure you indicate in your post how many Treasure Points your accomplishment earned you. In other words, you can't buy one copy of The Door Within, count it for 25 points and then count it AGAIN once you buy the whole series 100 points.

Note #7: Any and all of the requirements are subject to change as I see how this develops. I want to keep it fair.

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Misc. Cool Item of Interest #2: Remember we just learned that Corner of the Sky Entertainment decided not to pursue The Door Within Trilogy for a future movie? Well, I've recently learned that another incredible opportunity may be on the horizon. I can't give details yet, but soon, a very connected person on the West Coast will be getting copies of The Door Within Trilogy and Isle of Swords for review. If he likes what he reads…good things could happen.

Please pray. I'll provide more details when I can.

Never alone.

--Wayne Thomas Batson

A Visit to Second Baptist School, Houston Texas Part 1

I'm not even sure how she got my contact information. But about a year ago, I got an email from Brenda McManus, Head of Media Services at Second Baptist School of Houston, Texas. She wondered if I might be interested in coming down to Houston for a school visit. My initial thought was, "Sure…I'd love to come to Texas, but it's a bit of a hike from Maryland." Brenda didn't flinch. She made it possible for me to fly down to Houston and even set me up in the most unique hotel I've ever been in, the Hotel Indigo. Everyone I met at Second Baptist thanked me for coming, but…really, I was the one who was treated to a special event.
Here are some pics from the event.

Photo #1

Photo #2

Photo #3

Photo #4

Photo #5

Photo #6

Okay, creative visitors to EtDW, what would be a funny caption for any of the photos above?

Much more on this incredible visit in a future post.

This Just In...

I've just heard from my contact at Corner of the Sky Entertainment. It looks like The Door Within Trilogy is not their idea of movie material. There's a chance they will provide me with some contacts at other production companies who might be interested. I'll keep you posted.

Funny…I don't feel disappointed. God said No, for now. That's all I need to know. His plans are the best plans. His timing is the best timing. And besides...

I hear Peter Jackson is busy now anyway. ;-)

Suspense Technique Contest: The Trail of Breadcrumbs...and the Winner is:

You probably thought I forgot about the Suspense Techniques Contest! Nope. I was just snowed under by a deadline. But now that I am up and breathing again, I'd like to announce the winner of the 5th Segment of the Contest: Trail of Bread Crumbs. This is when an author employs foreshadowing to hint at larger, more important events to come.

I know this was a struggle for many of the writers who frequent EtDW. But in the end, I think we ended up with some VERRRRY promising work. I could totally see some of these being published--that is, of course, if the authors can fill a manuscript with such high-caliber material.

Afters several reads, I must grant the well-earned win to...{waits for suitable drum roll and fanfare} {Beautiful wife Mary Lu hands him envelope, sealed with gold trim.} {Slowly, unbearably slowly, he tears at the seal.} {He yelps after enduring a level 5 Paper cut.} {Opens the envelope and clears throat}

And the winner is...
Everlasting Scribe

Here's her winning entry:

“Lie down ole bones, lie down”
“Lie down old bones, lie down,
Don’t you know that you are dead?
You are, dead and buried dead and buried,
And so you can not dance, no, you can not dance”

The words piped out, tangling the brightness with mischief, and seemed to scuttle along the before Mynasthoa. He frowned slightly, and left the shade where he’d been playing hide and find with the nooning brightness of Aledal’s suns. The intensity of the light rolled over him like honey filling up all of his senses and threatening to overload them. Mynasthoa took several deep breaths, blinking in the brightness, and the light finally gave up the disorientation slid away.

“Lie down ole bones, lie down”
“Lie down old bones, lie down,”

The rhyme he’d known in his childhood repeated itself in a breathy taunt, though it sounded as if it were coming from behind rather than in front as it had when it started. The singer had to be very near him.

Mynasthoa turned slightly as several people pressed pass him; there were two venders trotting behind their push carts of wares, headed to the scarlet awnings on the other side of the avenue to show their goods to those trapped there by the brilliance of the nooning hour, a man and two small girls that held hands tightly and ran along the near side of the street, perhaps looking for the other half of their family, and a pair of street artists running for cover their caps jingling with coins they’d earned from telling stories to the stranded shoppers.

No Aledalian child would be familiar with the chant, he ran a hand through his hair smearing his fingertips with grit and sweat, before giving his locks a gentle tug as if that would release the answer from where it was hiding in his mind. It wasn’t something that a merchant would sing; it was too provoking and rude to be found in a salesman’s mouth. No Talebearer would start off their roll of stories with something so archaic, stories of heroes and daring escapes and kings and princesses running afoul of luck and then having everything turn out well, were what people wanted to hear.

“Don’t you know that you are dead?
You are, dead and buried dead and buried”


Mynasthoa scowled and turned on his heel moving back under the protective awning but as he did so, his long coat brushed up against his back and then whispered out again as someone insinuated an arm between his ribs and inside coat pocket

“Stars take it” he swore and spun with the motion of the intruder, catching a wrist and yanking the thief hard against himself. Dust scuffled up from the cracked stone road, and he felt the gazes of the clustered citizens snap to him as his prisoner writhed and twisted.

“Ah, there will be no biting, for I will bite you back and you’ll go home with half a hand” he warned as the pick pocket lowed their head and he felt teeth set against his knuckles. There was a hoarse word and he laughed. “Manners now, manners. And I caught you out, so by law you owe me seven times what you took” There was a hard inhale from the small frame and then Mynasthoa’s leather courier roll dropped onto the ground. So that’s what they’d been after. Odd.

“Now that’s a start, much better one than trying to rob this old man” Mynasthoa smiled grimly “Tell you what, I’ll take what is mine and you keep what is yours and we’ll be friends. What do you say to that?”

“I’d say that you never were one for knowing what was yours and what wasn’t” the thief murmured. Mynasthoa’s eyes widened and the tension in his arms slacked on the other frame, just enough. The thief broke his hold and spun away from him, dipping down between his feet a moment to snatch the dropped papers and then she straightened, black hair fierce in the brightness and eyes that were too blue to be purple and too purple to blue looked straight into his own. She slipped the paper down inside her jerkin and straightened her arm. A cylinder twanged into her hand and she squeezed it, out shot two lengths of pole and she stepped to the side, twirling the staff through her long fingers. “I wonder though, dear Rulebook, if in our time apart perhaps finally you’ve learned how to dance.” He backed away, giving ground and fumbled for his own calibone as her collapsible one struck at his boot tips.

Wayne's Take:
Scribe, this is your second win. I'm wondering if you've got a future bestseller squirreled away here. Seriously, the foreshadowing you employ is top shelf. The old poem about bones and death serves to add historical authenticity, but you absolutely must have something planned for that later on. The dialogue also drops hints, I think. The supposed thief and the Mynasthoa have a history, and we readers are dying to know what it is. Brilliant stuff. Email me and let me know what book and for whom you'd like it signed.

Honorable Mentions to: Josh (okay, what lurks below deck?) Patrick (not really the overwhelming suspense--trail of breadcrumbs, per se, but just too good a story not to mention.) Eve (Love the potion concoction and the tension).

There's still time to enter suspense technique #6 and especially #7. I'm not quite sure "The What If Twist" technique came clear. Hmmm....

Write on!

-WtB

From the files...

Getting ready to teach a poetry introduction to my English classes, I delved into my digital file folders and found a bunch of poems I wrote in 2002. They were all from portfolio of poetry I wrote for a class at McDaniel college. Amazing class! Published Poet Kathy Mangan taught the course--and taught me SO much about writing...the economy of language, muscular verbs, enjambment, etc. Here's one of my favorites:

During the Game

One moment--I’m there, in my easy
chair. Monday Night Football flickers before my vacant
stare as my wife folds
laundry in the bedroom upstairs.
The children finally put away
for the night, exhausted from activities--tag, catch, kick
the can--that I did not share
with them. I recline in peace,
my fingers coated with salt, spice, grease,
my tongue still wet from my last drink.
The two minute warning, I begin to stand breath caught
heart stut-
ters, mind tingles, gray fringes close
in, vision fading.
Pressure, like a phantom
standing on my chest, crushesmebent-
over in agony as tiny knives
jog from my shoulder down my arm.
Next moment--the only
thing that matters, my
wife’s hand gripping
mine through the cold
rails of the hospital bed.

Funny how life can change in an instant. And until that sudden moment, how easy it is to take things…people for granted. So what about you? Are you cherishing the blessing of life? Are there people and things you need to be more attentive to?

Borders at the Woodlands

Had a great signing at the Borders Bookstore at the Woodlands (Just outside of Houston) here in Texas. And as the saying goes, they do things BIG in Texas! This was a monster of a Borders store.

Leslie, the store manager, had a great spot for me in the front of the store. We later decided that we would set up chairs and do a few readings upstairs. A couple of families showed up right away. These were fans of The Door Within books and had just purchased Isle of Swords. Very nice people...very happy with my books, so I was very grateful. The evening wet very well. I had the opportunity to hand-sell and introduce my books to a dozen new readers--always a good thing.

I read "Echoes of Cannon Fire" and "Race for the Mill." Lots of fun. Can I just tell you, I love reading scenes with Jacques St. Pierre. He's such a winning maniac! lol

Funny anecdote. Do you know what happens to people who come to a toll booth but don't have the cash money to pay? I didn't know either...until this afternoon. My publicist picked me up and drove us to the Borders event on I610. Apparently, I610 is a toll road. Who knew? We hit the first toll booth, and my publicist says, "Uh, oh. I don't have any cash." I reach for my wallet. "Uh, oh. I don't have cash either."

So my publicist gets a ticket. Off we go. Five miles later, another toll booth. Repeat steps 1-3, and now my publicist has two tickets. I610, a toll road. Who knew? Now we know. lol

Hello from Houston...

I'm in Houston now. Very nice accommodations here at the Hotel Indigo. I feel more like I'm in the Caribbean than in Texas---not a bad thing, mind. My swords and I made the trip in one piece. Had the strangest bout of in-flight-fear on the way. Usually, I have no troubles with flying, enjoy it actually. But for whatever reason, every bump of turbulence gave me the heebie jeebies. I kept having thoughts of there being nothing I could do if something went wrong--no back up plan, no escape. YIPE. I prayed A LOT--not a bad thing, mind.



See what I mean about the hotel? I feel like I'm sleeping in a tropical aquarium. lol. More tomorrow after the signing at Borders. I also plan to do some writings on Dark Sea Annals. I am SO stoked about this series! More on this soon.

Never alone!

Houston...we have no problem.

Well, I'm off to Houston, Tx. tomorrow. Never been to Houston. 2nd Baptist Church School has invited me to come down and present Door Within and Isle of Swords to their students. Really looking forward to it. I also have a signing event at a Houston Borders store. Borders has SO been behind the Door Within books and Isle of Swords, so I hope I can sell a ton of books for them. Who knows? Have sword, will travel. Please pray that my swords make it onto the plane. LOL. Oh, and that I do too.

Reuters National TV Interview: Oct. 18, 2007

A subtitle to this post should be: "And How Not to Get from JFK International Airport to Downtown NYC." You would not believe the hassles I went through to make this interview. lol Note to self: Next time, take the subway.

For those of you unfamiliar with Reuters, they are an international news service that covers news all over the world and then supplies other news agencies who could not cover such stories first hand. They are to TV what the Associated Press is to print news.

My good friend and swordbrother, Christopher Hopper was kind enough to share the spotlight with me in NYC. Sir Christopher had been invited by Reuters Journalist Natasha Israni to do an interview discussing the growth of Christian Fantasy and a myriad of other topics. Afterward, Ms. Israni interviewed me on the same subjects. All I can say is thank you God for such an opportunity. And Ms. Israni was a wonderful interviewer. She had a disarming spirit about her. Christopher and I both felt very comfortable.

The TV feature will be available in about 2 Weeks, and I will post a link as soon as I get it. But in the mean time, Christopher's talented wife (unbeknownst to me) did a little filming and put together a nice video to give you a flavor of the experience. Thanks, Jennifer. And major props to Grandath Films.

Hope you enjoy:

The Joy of Clicking SEND

I just sent the manuscript of Isle of Fire off to my publishers. I cannot tell you what a magnificent feeling of exhilaration that was. The joy, the relief...the cosmic sigh. lol

This was by far the most difficult book to write--not because there were problems with the plot or writers block. But the deadline was the tightest I've ever had. Up til now the fastest I've ever had to write a book was 5 months for Rise of the Wyrm Lord. This one, I had to write in a little more than three months.

There were many times when I just didn't think I would make the deadline. There were times when I wanted to quit. This has been a tough fall for me and my family. Stealing hours and days from my wife and children just as the kid begin the school year and my wife begins a new career was not what anyone needed.

The thing is, God made it happen. God was faithful with the ideas. He supplied the time through those around me and various amazing circumstances. And the book is finished and off for review.

Of course, it'll be back soon. No doubt with many things to fix. {sigh}

Bark of the Bog Owl by Jonathan Rogers: CSFF Blog Tour Day 1

I must admit I initially avoided Bark of the Bog Owl when I saw it sitting on the shelf in Christian Bookstores. I noticed it for sure. How could I not? Very cool, ancient-looking cover, complete with mysterious heraldric symbols and gator-skin.

But as I read the blurb, it came off to me as being for much younger children. So, shamefully, I didn't give it a try. That was until my son Bryce took an interest in reading. Of course, none of my kids want to read my books, but they'll read just about anything else I give them. So I picked up Bog Owl.

One word review: ENCHANTING.

OK, I lied. More words coming up: Seriously though, BotBO was enchanting--the kind of tale that knocks down the walls of your cubicle and whisks you off to some place other. My boys and I couldn't wait to jump back into Corenwald--esp. when we got to read more about the Feechies! Original Fantasy Race Award for Mr. Rogers for his fascinating Feechies.

That's my one complaint, however, not enough Feechie action. But that's minor. My boys and I loved the book. Sir Jonathan is a gifted storyteller, and, by all accounts, a true gentleman.

Treasure Hunt Update!

Hello, all! I'm happy to say I've met the deadline for Isle of Fire--thank you for the prayers and most of all THANK YOU, GOD!! More on that soon. Look for a post called "The Joys of Clicking Send" coming soon.

I wanted to UPDATE everyone on the Isle of Swords Treasure Hunt Contest. See the sidebar for new scores.

From now on, please post your new accomplishments as COMMENTS on this POST. I've listed the rules below for easy reference. Note the new Point Getter: Book Reports in School.

Also, if you're new to the contest, please don't feel like you cannot possibly catch up. You absolutely can. We have now entered the preChristmas corridor. Buying books as gifts could allow you to amp up your points in a hurry.

There are also lots of nonCostly methods of adding up the points: recommending the books is really easy, esp. if you make a recommendation to lots of friends.

And remember, all of the tasks are repeatable. I mean you can't post the same review twice on Amazon, but you CAN post the same review on a GaZillion different review sites.

Until next time: Never Alone!

5 Treasure Points:
•Mention ANY of my books in a blog thread--your blog or someone else's--post the link in your comment.
•Recommend ANY of my books to someone you know--say who it was.
•Post a link to my blog anywhere on your blog--then, post the link here.
•Post a review of any of my books on a non-review site like a blog, school page, etc. Post a link here.

10 Treasure Points:
•Write a review of any of my books on Amazon or any online review site. Post the link for the review once it's up.
•Post cover artwork from any of my books on your blog and make it a link to Amazon or CBD. Post the link in your comment on this thread.
•Post a link for my book's Amazon or CBD page on your blog. Then, post the link here.

20 Treasure Points:
•Write a review of any of my books and post it on three different online review sites. Post the link for the review here once it's up.

25 Treasure Points:
•Recommend ANY of my books to someone you know--say who it was. And then, this person chose to buy the book!
•Spot ANY of my books in a bookstore outside of the state in which you live. Post here to let us know where and when.

50 Treasure Points:
•Buy a copy of Isle of Swords and post when and where you bought it.
•Buy any of The Door Within Books and post when and where you bought it.
•Write a review of ALL of my books and post ALL of them on THREE online review sites. Post the links for the reviews once they're up.
•Buy a copy of any book by one of the Fantasy Fiction Tour Authors: Sharon Hinck, Bryan Davis, and Christopher Hopper.
•Create an Amazon Listmania List that includes The Door Within Books and Isle of Swords.
• Write AND present a book report on any Wayne Thomas Batson, Bryan Davis, Christopher Hopper, or Sharon Hinck book at school. 100pts. if you earn an A+ for that assignment.

75 Treasure Points:
•Go to a store that does not carry my books and special order it from that store.
•Go to a store that does not carry my books and persuade them to carry any of my books. Then, post here to tell us what store has now agreed to carry my book(s).
•Buy any of my books and donate them to your church library. Then post here to say where you bought them and what church received them.

100 Treasure Points:
•Buy a copy of ANY of my books for the Youth Group Leader of your church. Post a comment here to tell who, when, and where.
•Buy one copy of EACH of the Fantasy Fiction Tour Authors: Sharon Hinck, Bryan Davis, Wayne Thomas Batson, and Christopher Hopper. (4 Books total) Post here to say where and when.
•Buy both of Christopher Hopper's books: Rise of the Dibor and The Lion Vrie. Post here to say where and when.
•Buy both of Sharon Hinck's Sword of Lyric Books: Restorer and Restorer's Son. Post here to say where and when.

400 Treasure Points:
•Buy The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, The Final Storm, and Isle of Swords (ALL FOUR of my books). Post here and tell where you bought them and when.
•Buy all of Bryan Davis's Dragons in Our Midst Books (4) Post here to say where and when.


Note: Each of the preceding MAY be repeated as many times as you like.

Note #2: Each of the preceding must be performed from this day (September 18th, 2007) forward. But, upon further review, I have decided to allow contestants to count THREE past book purchases for Treasure Points. So, if you bought The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, and The Final Storm last year, you can count those three, but no others.

Note #3: To claim ANY Treasure Points, you must post a comment on THIS thread explaining how you accomplished it.

Note #4: I may add to the list of Treasure Point Tasks at any time--and likely will because my twisted mind is always churning...

Note #5: Keep track of your own Treasure Points. I will keep a running tally in my sidebar and try to update it every week or two. But you should keep your total as well.

Note #6: You cannot kill several birds with one stone. Make sure you indicate in your post how many Treasure Points your accomplishment earned you. In other words, you can't buy one copy of The Door Within, count it for 25 points and then count it AGAIN once you buy the whole series 100 points.

Note #7: Any and all of the requirements are subject to change as I see how this develops. I want to keep it fair.

Uh, Oh...

The problem is no longer will I meet my word count by the deadline. 85,000 words, by the grace of God, will be no problem. But...

Now, can I actually finish the book within 85,000 words? Gulp. You ever been reading a book and it's toward the end, and you notice, hey, there's not more than an inch of pages left. How can this possibly end in that little bit of pages?

That's where I am right now. Hmmm...

Still, I'm in no danger of going like 20,000 words over like some other times. {ahem}

But my goal isn't just to finish. It's to finish strong.

I have been to the hurricane...

Ok, who am I kidding? I'm still in the middle of it.

I'm about 13-15 thousand words short of my word count. The deadline is in one week. I just got back from three days and two nights with 180 sixth graders at an outdoor education center where I had virtually no time to write. I cheated. I wrote anyway. Still, it wasn't enough.

While at camp with the kids, BBBBBRRRING!! My cell phone. It's Gregg, my agent. "Wayne, I just heard from Reuters. They want you to fly out to NYC to join Christopher Hopper for an interview about Christian Fantasy."

"Uhhhhh, ok." {Thinks to self: Cool, I get to do TV again. Cool, I get to hang with my swordbrother, Sir Christopher again. Uh, oh…now, when do I write?}

This is a tight squeeze. I don't actually know that I'll be able to meet my deadline. But I also know God is into the impossible. So, I'm going to trust that He'll make it all come together…

Somehow.

I'll get back to adding Treasure Hunt Points after Oct. 20th. Thanks for all you're doing to spread the word!

Never alone.

-WtB

Isle of Swords Release Party: The Aftermath

I really need to hit the writing trail, but I just can't NOT say something about the event this past Friday. I was driving to the Barnes and Noble store prior to the event, and a special song between me and God came on: Nichole Nordeman's Brave. I head that and just started praying, God you love me, and you have big plans, don't you?

I was instantly reminded of Nathaniel being wowed when Jesus said He'd seen Nathaniel beneath the fig tree...even when Jesus wasn't there. Jesus said (WIV translation*), "Dude, you believe because I saw you under the fig tree? Get real, I have other things to show you that will blow your shoes off!"

I felt like God was saying to me, "You think me putting a song on the radio was big? You just wait."

And God had incredible things in store:
• 70 people were there for the readings
•That quadrupled before the night ended
• @180 Isle of Swords books sold
• @80 Door Within books sold
• That's about triple my best turnout ever
• The line was SO long that one of my students read 100 pages of Isle of Swords while waiting!
• I signed from 7:30-10:15...Straight.
• Lines stretched all over the store.
• The store had great decorations, contests, food, etc.
• Folks had a blast.
• God is awesome.

Thanks to Scribe for taking lots of photos and putting together this slideshow. Apparently, Photobucket needs to make its advertising money by plastering Disney all over the slideshow. Doh.

I've also included some other good shots outside of the slideshow.

*Wayne's Ignoble Version

Reflection...

My Lord came to me early in the morning while darkness still held the horizon in its fleeting grip. "Must it be now?" I asked drowsily, still not quite awake…not quite sure. He nodded. It must be now, so I flung off the blankets and sleep and followed Him.

The streets of gold were gray in the morning twilight. It felt cold to my bare feet. Nonetheless, it was not unpleasant. More of the happy coolness of chill grass on a Summer evening or a Fall breeze that asks for a blanket but does not require it. But He led me off the road and onto a path of His making.

Over quiet, shadowy hills and through flower beds that bowed as the Master passed and even suffered me to wander clumsily in their midst. We ducked under thick boughs of trees whose days could not be numbered and stepped over roots that went as deep as creation. At last He led me to a steep incline. It was an arduous mission, to climb to that precipice, and yet I was not tired when we reached the pinnacle at last.

My Lord gestured for me to sit, and then He sat down beside me. I looked from that point, high upon a mountain, across a great valley veiled in purple shadows. Then I looked at Him. He seemed in no hurry. I looked to the horizon and back to Him--must have been ten different times. And still He simply stared off to the distant mountain peaks. He said nothing.

Then, all at once, there was color. The gray world was set aflame in brilliant red, gold, orange, and pink. The sun rose behind those mountains, kindling the vaporous clouds with a fiery border. I gazed in wonder at the colors that, before, had seemed so routine, so meaningless…

And yet now…tears streaked down my face, and I finally understood it all. I looked to my Lord and asked a deeply personal, desperate question: "Forever?" I asked.

My Lord took my hand and said, "Yes, forever. Do you understand?"

I bit my lip and nodded.

Upon further review...

Well after long deliberation…none of the newly brainstormed title options came out on top. Turns out my favorite, Cauldron of Fire, gave too many witch vibes. So, my publisher went back to an earlier list of possibilities and chose my daughter's idea as the title for the sequel to Isle of Swords. And you know what? It fits the story pretty well, but not in the way that you might think. And I'm kinda liking it. Of course, my daughter is deliriously happy. ;-)

Door Within: The Movie?

I noticed Scribe's wonderful request for prayer for Friday's Isle of Swords release party. She is so right when she said that Bryan, Sharon, Christopher, and I are grateful beyond words for your prayer cover during the Tour. So please pray for the event.

You know, I thought and hoped the Tour would go well. I really believed it would. But I was still thinking WAY too small. God had other things in mind. Who would have thought we'd never pay for a hotel room...not once? Who would have thought we'd have lines around the corner for our first signing at the International Christian Retail Show? Who would have thought that RNS, the Religious News Service, would pick up on the Tour, and that AP would pick up on the Tour, and the Washington Post would pick up on the Tour, and that Fox and Friends would pick up on the Tour? Is there anything that our God cannot do? Is there anything that we can imagine that God cannot, by a single thought of His, completely surpass?

Well, I have some news. And really, I don't know what will happen. So I am asking for prayer for this as well. An executive from Corner of the Sky Entertainment is considering my books for movie potential. Meaning: they are reviewing my books, their place in the entertainment market, the potential for nationwide interest, etc. and deciding whether they want to purchase the movie rights. It appears that the decision will be made this week. THIS WEEK.

I truly believe there are some serious spiritual battles going on in this. I cannot explain why exactly, but I know there are. Corner of the Sky Entertainment is no lightweight. One of their latest projects was Evan Almighty. So please pray for the execs at Corner of the Sky Entertainment, pray for the numbers to look good, and the decision to be made...exactly as God wants it. Even if it is a NO answer.

Never alone.

-WtB

Isle of Swords Release Party: Come as you are, or be a pirate!

Presents

Isle of Swords Release Party
Friday, September 28th, 7-9pm
Barnes & Noble
4300 Montgomery Rd
Ellicott City, MD 21043
(410) 203-9001

I'd like to personally invite you to come to the Isle of Swords Release Party. This should be a very exciting evening. I'll be there doing dramatic readings from Isle of Swords, as well as, a special sneak peek at something else coming in the not to distant future.

•Pirate Costume Contests

•Special Photo Op Sessions

•Snacks

•Prizes

•Book Signing

Thomas Nelson Publishers will even be flying my publicist in to help with the event. Secretly, I think they want to know just what I do at these things. ;-) There may also be local press.
That said, the bigger the turnout, the better. I'd like to see that Barnes & Nobles store absolutely swamped with folks...and pirates. I'll be dressed in full pirate garb, including my new cutlass from RealArmorofGod.com. See below:

Come if you can. I'd love to see you there!

Never alone.

Wayne Thomas Batson

PS: Please do not post any Treasure Points on this thread. Post them HERE.

Isle of Swords Treasure Hunt Extravaganza!

Might Ye Be Lookin' Fer Treasure?

Do you like to solve mysteries?

Do you like to hunt for hidden treasure?

Would ya' care t'hit the high seas on a noble mission fraught with danger?

Do you like to talk like a pirate? Arrrrr....

And, finally would ya' care to help a brother out?

Beginning today, I'm embarking on a journey, and I'm hoping you'll come along for the ride.

Announcing the Isle of Swords Treasure Hunt Extravaganza!

Your mission, should you choose to--ah, you know the rest--is simply this accumulate the Most Treasure Points possible by Christmas 2007 by completing any and all of the tasks listed below:

Treasure Points Tasks Key

5 Treasure Points:
•Mention ANY of my books in a blog thread--your blog or someone else's--post the link in your comment.
•Recommend ANY of my books to someone you know--say who it was.
•Post a link to my blog anywhere on your blog--then, post the link here.
•Post a review of any of my books on a non-review site like a blog, school page, etc. Post a link here.

10 Treasure Points:
•Write a review of any of my books on Amazon or any online review site. Post the link for the review once it's up.
•Post cover artwork from any of my books on your blog and make it a link to Amazon or CBD. Post the link in your comment on this thread.
•Post a link for my book's Amazon or CBD page on your blog. Then, post the link here.

20 Treasure Points:
•Write a review of any of my books and post it on three different online review sites. Post the link for the review here once it's up.

25 Treasure Points:
•Recommend ANY of my books to someone you know--say who it was. And then, this person chose to buy the book!
•Spot ANY of my books in a bookstore outside of the state in which you live. Post here to let us know where and when.

50 Treasure Points:
•Buy a copy of Isle of Swords and post when and where you bought it.
•Buy any of The Door Within Books and post when and where you bought it.
•Write a review of ALL of my books and post ALL of them on THREE online review sites. Post the links for the reviews once they're up.
•Buy a copy of any book by one of the Fantasy Fiction Tour Authors: Sharon Hinck, Bryan Davis, and Christopher Hopper.
•Create an Amazon Listmania List that includes The Door Within Books and Isle of Swords.

75 Treasure Points:
•Go to a store that does not carry my books and special order it from that store.
•Go to a store that does not carry my books and persuade them to carry any of my books. Then, post here to tell us what store has now agreed to carry my book(s).
•Buy any of my books and donate them to your church library. Then post here to say where you bought them and what church received them.

100 Treasure Points:
•Buy a copy of ANY of my books for the Youth Group Leader of your church. Post a comment here to tell who, when, and where.
•Buy one copy of EACH of the Fantasy Fiction Tour Authors: Sharon Hinck, Bryan Davis, Wayne Thomas Batson, and Christopher Hopper. (4 Books total) Post here to say where and when.
•Buy both of Christopher Hopper's books: Rise of the Dibor and The Lion Vrie. Post here to say where and when.
•Buy both of Sharon Hinck's Sword of Lyric Books: Restorer and Restorer's Son. Post here to say where and when.

400 Treasure Points:
•Buy The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, The Final Storm, and Isle of Swords (ALL FOUR of my books). Post here and tell where you bought them and when.
•Buy all of Bryan Davis's Dragons in Our Midst Books (4) Post here to say where and when.


Note: Each of the preceding MAY be repeated as many times as you like.

Note #2: Each of the preceding must be performed from this day (September 18th, 2007) forward. But, upon further review, I have decided to allow contestants to count THREE past book purchases for Treasure Points. So, if you bought The Door Within, Rise of the Wyrm Lord, and The Final Storm last year, you can count those three, but no others.

Note #3: To claim ANY Treasure Points, you must post a comment on THIS thread explaining how you accomplished it.

Note #4: I may add to the list of Treasure Point Tasks at any time--and likely will because my twisted mind is always churning...

Note #5: Keep track of your own Treasure Points. I will keep a running tally in my sidebar and try to update it every week or two. But you should keep your total as well.

Note #6: You cannot kill several birds with one stone. Make sure you indicate in your post how many Treasure Points your accomplishment earned you. In other words, you can't buy one copy of The Door Within, count it for 25 points and then count it AGAIN once you buy the whole series 100 points.

Note #7: Any and all of the requirements are subject to change as I see how this develops. I want to keep it fair.

To the Winners Go the Spoils:
(uh...here's what you can win)

The Top FIVE Adventurers who accumulate the Treasure Points will receive a signed book of their choice. AND for each of the top 5, I will name a character* in my next fantasy series after you. That's correct: I'll use your real name, your username, or a character name you create as a character in my new fantasy series. Of course, if your name is Bob, we might want to go with something a little more fantasy-ish.

For the #1 Treasure Points getter, I will give you one copy of every new book I write...for LIFE. That means, should the Lord allow me to live long enough to write all the stories rattling around in my head, you will get a signed copy of each one sent directly to you. Of course, if you move and don't give me your new address, then…someone else will be getting all those books. Doh!

*No Guarantee that your character won't get killed off in some horribly unpleasant manner.